Screen Name

The email address/password you submitted is wrong or could not be found. Please try again. If you are not a member of the FIFA.com Club, please register first.

The email address/password you submitted is wrong or could not be found. Please try again. If you are not a member of the FIFA.com Club, please register first.

This Facebook account is already present

Your Club account has been locked due to a breach of our Terms of Service. Please set up a new account in line with the Club rules. Review the Club Rules. Alternatively, you can email us by completing our contact form.

Please enter a valid email address

The email address/password you submitted is wrong or could not be found. Please try again. If you are not a member of the FIFA.com Club, please register first.

Asian quartet count on changes

While it has been an accepted fact across Asia over the past
decade that a vastly experienced foreign coach could be crucial for
a team's success, the tendency towards this imported manager
policy appears to be unfashionable recently.

China, the world's most populous nation, was the
first to turn to the home-grown option, picking Zhu Guanghu as the
replacement for Dutchman Arie Haan, who had failed to lead the team
through to the previous FIFA World Cup in Germany.

Despite quickly gaining his spurs with some inspiring
results, including winning the East Asian Football Federation
(EAFF) Championship title in 2005 over the likes of Japan and Korea
Republic, Zhu's charges failed to live up to expectations when
it came to major international competitions.

In the 2007 AFC Asian Cup finals in July, the team
suffered an early exit at the group stage following a 3-0
humiliation at the hands of Uzbekistan, their worst ever result in
this competition.

This defeat was Zhu's last match in charge of
China, who made way for Serbian Vladimir Petrovic in September.
With the difficult task of leading China to their second FIFA World
Cup finals, the former Yugoslavia international admitted to the
difficulties facing him but vowed to fulfill his mission.

"I wouldn't have accepted the job without
the necessary confidence to guide the team to South Africa
2010," he told
FIFA.com in a recent interview, "I believe
the team will be able to rebuild their lost credibility as long as
they work hard and well."

The return of home-grown
China's lessons of reverting to the foreign
coach policy, however, seem not to be learned by neighbours Korea
Republic and Japan, who both appointed a home-grown coach on 7
December.

Both appointments came as sudden ones. Takeshi Okada,
who guided Japan to their first-ever FIFA World Cup finals at
France 1998, rose from the ashes to come back to the national team
post after Bosnian Ivica Osim suffered a stroke in November. Huh
Jung-Moo, who was replaced by Guus Hiddink in 2000, was given back
the reigns following Mick McCarthy and Gerard Houllier's
rejection of the position.

One obvious reason behind the decisions was that the
two East Asian sides could not afford more time in their managerial
search ahead of the qualifying campaign for the FIFA World Cup
South Africa 2010™. And, with their qualification matches beginning
on 6 February, the two coaches have also been give little time to
prepare their outfits.

Okada wasted no time in starting his work, announcing
the first Japan squad at his disposal: a 33-man provisional squad
only five days after his appointment. While few would bet against
them in their first home fixture against Thailand, Okada's goal
is to book Japan's fourth consecutive appearance at the FIFA
World Cup finals.

"I felt a sense of duty and I thought I needed
to give my best effort for Japan," he said. "I will build
the team step by step during the qualifiers, making the most of
what the team has now."

Coach Huh's preparatory work with Korea Republic
will come late as he will not be able to call the team together
until 3 February, three days before their opening home match
against Turkmenistan. However, the 52-year-old did not hide his
confidence to take the Taeguk Warriors to their seventh FIFA World
Cup finals in a row.

"I will do my best to maximize our capabilities
and we have to pull ourselves up and start all over again." he
commented.

Asian experiences count
Only a couple of days prior to Huh's
re-appointment as Korea coach, his predecessor Pim Verbeek was
confirmed as Australia's new head coach. Having reached the
second round at Germany 2006 under Hiddink, the Socceroos chose to
go Dutch again.

Australia disappointed in July's Asian Cup,
losing a group match 3-1 to eventual champions Iraq before crashing
out following a quarter-final defeat to Japan. Not surprisingly,
Verbeek's knowledge of Asian football which he has gained both
as assistant to Hiddink and the head coach with Korea Republic,
made him the hottest option to replace Graham Arnold after
Australia failed to reach an agreement with Phillippe Troussier and
Dick Advocaat.

Verbeek will have his first test in charge of
Australia in two months' time, with a home match against Qatar
in Melbourne. Having assisted Hiddink and Korea Republic to the
semi-finals of Korea/Japan 2002, he believes his stint with
Australia will be "an exciting time for football" in the
country.

"I am looking forward to the challenge ahead of
qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup," said the former
Feyenoord manager. "And I am committed to also helping to
develop the game in Australia."